Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Friday that a court ruling a day earlier did not change how he feels about running back Josh Jacobs, even as the veteran remains barred from practicing or playing while the NFL reviews the case.
LaFleur spoke at his regular news conference after Jacobs pleaded no contest Thursday in Brown County Circuit Court to misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property. The charges stemmed from a May incident involving Jacobs and his girlfriend at his home in the Green Bay area.
Asked whether the ruling altered his view of the 28-year-old back, LaFleur said it did not.
“Because I know the guy, I know the character of the guy, unfortunately situations occur in life, and it’s just an unfortunate situation,” LaFleur said.
The comments were captured on video circulated Friday by CBS 58 sports anchor Cameron Ezeir, who posted the clip from LaFleur’s podium appearance. The exchange was among the first public remarks from the Packers coach after the case reached a courtroom resolution.
LaFleur declined to discuss why the Packers intend to keep Jacobs on the roster while the league finishes its review.
“Guys, I’m not getting into any of this until the league completes their investigation,” he said.
Jacobs, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was fined $1,000 plus costs on the battery count. Judge Marc Hammer approved a deferred-judgment agreement on the property-damage charge, which can be dismissed in 12 months if Jacobs meets court conditions.
Those conditions include committing no further criminal acts, having no contact with the victim, remaining under supervision, completing counseling and paying restitution. Each misdemeanor had carried a possible penalty of up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine. Prosecutors did not seek jail time.
In court, Jacobs said, “I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility.” His attorneys said in a statement that he had accepted responsibility and resolved the matter. One attorney said Jacobs had already begun counseling.
The criminal case grew out of a May 23 disturbance at Jacobs’ residence. Formal charges were filed Aug. 27. The NFL placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list three days later, a paid administrative status that does not count against the 53-man roster.
The league said Thursday that the outcome in court did not change that status.
“We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy,” the NFL said. “There is no change to his status as he remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt list.”
Players on the list cannot practice or play. They may, with team permission, be at the facility for meetings, treatment and other non-football activity. Only Commissioner Roger Goodell can restore a player to eligibility. Games missed on the list can count toward any later suspension.
The timing leaves Green Bay without its featured runner for Sunday’s season opener at Minnesota. Jacobs signed a four-year, $48 million contract with the Packers in 2024 and has been the centerpiece of the rushing attack since arriving from Las Vegas
Last season he rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games, averaging 61.9 yards per game. In 2024, his first year in Green Bay, he ran for 1,329 yards and a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns. He is one of two Packers, along with Hall of Famer Jim Taylor, to record 13 or more rushing touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
Since entering the NFL in 2019, Jacobs has 7,803 rushing yards and 74 rushing touchdowns. He also has 269 receptions for 2,072 yards. Packers materials list him among a small group of backs in league history to reach 7,500 rushing yards, 70 rushing touchdowns, 250 catches and 2,000 receiving yards in his first seven seasons.
In his absence, Green Bay is expected to lean on MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson, who was acquired from Pittsburgh after Jacobs went on the exempt list. The Packers also enter the opener with questions on the offensive line and without edge rusher Micah Parsons, who is on the physically unable to perform list.
LaFleur’s support of Jacobs drew immediate scrutiny because the court proceeding produced a conviction on the battery count. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt in the same form as a guilty plea, but it allows a judge to impose sentence as if the defendant were convicted.
The coach framed the case as a personal matter that did not rewrite what he said he already knew about Jacobs. He offered no timetable for a return and pointed repeatedly to the league’s unfinished investigation.
For now, the Packers’ on-field plans do not include their highest-paid running back. The legal file in Brown County is largely closed, subject to a year of compliance. The football file is still open, and Sunday’s game in Minneapolis will be the first test of a backfield built around Jacobs’ absence rather than his production.
